Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, debilitating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). MS has also been classified as an autoimmune disease. MS disease activity can be monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, accumulation of disability, as well as rate and severity of relapses.
There are five main forms of multiple sclerosis:    1) Benign Multiple Sclerosis:
Benign multiple sclerosis is a retrospective diagnosis which is characterized by 1-2 exacerbations with complete recovery, no lasting disability and no disease progression for 10-15 years after the initial onset. Benign multiple sclerosis may, however, progress into other forms of multiple sclerosis.    2) Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS):
Patients suffering from RRMS experience sporadic exacerbations or relapses, as well as periods of remission. Lesions and evidence of axonal loss may or may not be visible on MRI for patients with RRMS.    3) Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS):
SPMS may evolve from RRMS. Patients afflicted with SPMS have relapses, a diminishing degree of recovery during remissions, less frequent remissions and more pronounced neurological deficits than RRMS patients. Enlarged ventricles, which are markers for atrophy of the corpus callosum, midline center and spinal cord, are visible on MRI of patients with SPMS.    4) Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS):
PPMS is characterized by a steady progression of increasing neurological deficits without distinct attacks or remissions. Cerebral lesions, diffuse spinal cord damage and evidence of axonal loss are evident on the MRI of patients with PPMS.    5) Progressive-Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis (PRMS):
PRMS has periods of acute exacerbations while proceeding along a course of increasing neurological deficits without remissions. Lesions are evident on MRI of patients suffering from PRMS (Multiple sclerosis: its diagnosis, symptoms, types and stages, 2003, albany.net/.about .tjc/multiple-sclerosis.html; What are the Types of Multiple Sclerosis?, 2005, <imaginis.com/multiple-sclerosis/types-of-ms.asp? mode=1>).
Chronic progressive multiple sclerosis is a term used to collectively refer to SPMS, PPMS, and PRMS (Types of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), 2005, <themcfox.com/multiple-sclerosis/types-of-ms/types-of-multi-ple-sclerosis.htm>). The relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis are SPMS with superimposed relapses, RRMS and PRMS.
Glatiramer acetate (GA), a mixture of polypeptides which do not all have the same amino acid sequence, is marketed under the tradename Copaxone®. GA comprises the acetate salts of polypeptides containing L-glutamic acid, L-alanine, L-tyrosine and L-lysine at average molar fractions of 0.141, 0.427, 0.095 and 0.338, respectively. The average molecular weight of Copaxone® is between 5,000 and 9,000 daltons. (“Copaxone”, Physician's Desk Reference, (2005), Medical Economics Co., Inc., (Montvale, N.J.), 3115.) Chemically, glatiramer acetate is designated L-glutamic acid polymer with L-alanine, L-lysine, L-tyrosine, acetate (salt).
Its structural formula is:(Glu,Ala,Lys,Tyr)x.X CH3COOH(C5H9NO4.C3H7NO2.C6H14N2O2.C9H11NO3) x·x CHOCAS-147245-92-9
Copaxone® (“Copaxone”, Full Prescribing Information, (February, 2009), FDA Marketing. Label) (20 mg glatiramer acetate daily injection) is an approved therapy for patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), including patients who have experienced a first clinical episode and have MRI features consistent with multiple sclerosis.
GA has also been disclosed for use in the treatment of other autoimmune diseases (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0055466 A1 (R. Aharoni at al.), inflammatory non-autoimmune diseases (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0014694 A1 (V. Wee Yong et al.); and U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0077278 A1, published Jun. 20, 2002 (Young et al.)) and other diseases (U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2003/0004099 A1 and 2002/0037848 A1 (Eisenbach-Schwartz, et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,938 B1, issued Feb. 4, 2003 (Gad et al.); PCT International Publication No. WO 01/60392, published Aug. 23, 2001 (Gilbert at al.); PCT International. Publication No. WO 00/27417, published May 19, 2000 (Aharoni et al.); and PCT International Publication No. WO 01/97846, published Dec. 27, 2001 (Moses at al.).
The 20 mg/day subcutaneous (s.c.) dose has been shown to reduce the total number of enhancing lesions in MS patients as measured by MRI (G. Comi et al., European/Canadian Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study of the Effects of Glatiramer Acetere on Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Measured Disease Activity and Burden in Patients with Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis, Ann. Neurol. 49:290-297 (2001)).
Safety data accumulated for GA in clinical trials shows that the drug product is safe and well tolerated.
Disclosed is an effective low frequency dosage regimen of GA administration to patients suffering from a relapsing form of multiple sclerosis, including patients who have experienced a first clinical episode and have MRI features consistent with multiple sclerosis.